Energy
by AutyRose
Summary: Korra may have only been in Republic City for a few days, but it hasn't stopped her from spending nearly every night with Asami. After Korra makes dinner for Asami the night before, Asami looks to return the favor. It's easy to forget, though, that Korra is the Avatar, and that Avatar Issues, like Mother Nature herself, don't wait around for anyone's approval before coming about.
1. Chapter 1

"Thanks for the ride Naga!" Asami exclaimed as she slid off of the back of the panting polar bear dog. She walked around to Naga's face and gave her a scratch behind her right ear. Naga leaned into her hand and gave it a soft lick as she pulled away.

As Naga turned to leave, Asami called her back. "One second girl, I've got something for you to give to Korra." She pulled a small piece of rolled paper from the inside of her jacket and secured it to Naga's harness. She pet Naga behind her ears and whispered "Make sure Korra gets this. It's important." She pulled Naga's face towards her for a small hug. Naga licked her cheek and sped off. Asami watched until Naga was out of sight with a soft smile on her lips.

She sighed and turned to face the Future Industries Factory that Naga had taken her to. It would take some time before they were able to make progress on repairing the sabotaged equipment in the facility. Asami straightened her shoulders and walked briskly into the factory, preparing herself for a long day. She was grateful, though. The damage could have been much worse than what is was. Thanks to Korra, the destruction was minimized. They even managed to find the culprit of the sabotage (_Damn Cabbage Corp,_ Asami thought to herself as she observed the equipment before entering the operator's shack). Still, if the entire factory went down, then many of her other facilities and workers would be decommissioned until repairs were made, since this factory produced important bases for her current Satomobile line. She was more than happy that production only had to slow for a few days. With this in mind, she pulled the door open and began speaking to the mechanics in the shack.

(-)

Korra had just exited the lounge of Asami's apartment complex when Naga ran up to her.

"Hey girl," Korra greeted Naga with an affectionate hug around her neck. She had only been in Republic City for a few days after being on her own for six months, and she missed her beloved animal companion. Naga wrapped a paw around Korra in response. Korra smiled and pulled away, tracing her hands through Naga's fur. She hit her harness and felt something unexpected.

"What's this?" She asked herself more than her polar bear dog as she pulled the rolled up paper from the harness. She unrolled it and read the message, in beautiful handwriting:

_Dinner at my place, 10:00 PM._

Korra recognized the handwriting immediately as Asami's and felt her cheeks heat up. She hid the note in her pants pocket before anyone could notice her blush, but that smile of excitement remained on her face despite her efforts. She flew onto Naga, propelled by air bending, and directed Naga through the streets of Republic City. She couldn't decipher why she was so happy about this note; she had just eaten dinner with Asami the night before (_Man, that was good_, Korra thought to herself, praising the cooking skills she learned from her mother). For some reason, Korra just kept smiling.

"What are you smiling about?" A voice shot around her as Naga arrived in front of Tenzin's home on Air Temple Island. She didn't even realize they had travelled there (even with Naga swimming through the water); her mind was focused on other things. She brought Naga to a halt and scanned her surroundings. The voice sounded familiar to her, and when she felt the whip of an air scooter whiz by her ear, she knew exactly who it was.

She flipped off of Naga and sent a current of air in the path of the young airbender. It caught his air scooter and sent him flying forward (much to his surprise). He landed softly, as most airbenders do, and turned to Korra.

"You can't just mess up Meelo the Man's air scooter like that!" He shot air back at Korra. She deflected it and continued to spar with Meelo. She maintained a grin on her face, but this one was much different from the previous one. She was competing, and she was holding her own pretty damn well against the airbender.

"What is going on out here?" An older voice called as he approached the two benders. They both stopped in their tracks, air fading from behind them.

Korra spoke first. "Sorry Tenzin. Meelo and I were just playing." She rubbed his hair, which caused him to pull back and pout. Korra laughed. "Meelo _the man_ is certainly a great bender," Korra smiled down at Meelo, causing him to shrug his shoulders and smile.

"What can I say, I'm _pretty good_." Meelo crossed his arms as he replied. Tenzin, on the other hand, sighed into his hand, where his fingers were on the bridge of his nose.

"Korra and I have some things to take care of Meelo. Go help your mother with lunch."

Meelo whined and threw up another air scooter. Though it moved enough to sustain him, it certainly didn't have that spirit like the one Korra stopped earlier. The pair watched him speed off before they resumed. Tenzin placed a hand around Korra's shoulders and ushered her away from the temple.

"Come, Korra. We have much to do."

(-)

Asami reviewed everything in her head as she prepared the meal. It had been a long time since she had cooked, let alone made anything _this_ fancy. She was trying to recall the recipe, her mind quite tired from working on repairs in the factory. She noticed her reflection in the windows as she set the table. _At least I look nice_, she thought to herself, trying to compensate for her doubts in her cooking skills. Just as she had put two unlit candles on the table, a knock penetrated the working silence. Asami smiled, straightened her outfit, and walked to the door. She pulled it open to see a smiling Korra who was dressed classier than Asami would have presumed.

"Hey!" Korra greeted Asami with a big smile after pausing to take in Asami's red and black silk dress. Asami smiled in response, taking the time that Korra paused to observe the many shades of blue of Korra's Water Tribe Outift. She gestured Korra to enter and shut the door after. She watched Korra take in the atmosphere she had set up with a proud smile on her face.

"Wow, Asami, it looks great in here. And look at these plates! And the food!" Korra bent down to inspect the meal on the table. "You really know how to show me up!" Korra laughed and strode to Asami. She chuckled in response.

"It's all looks Korra. Trust me, my food won't taste nearly as good as yours. It's definitely…" she had to pause for a moment to think of the correct word, "edible, though." Korra merely smiled in response. She put her hand on Asami's shoulder.

"I bet it tastes great." Korra smiled wider and walked towards the table. Asami followed and realized there was something missing. _The candles_, she thought.

"I'll be right back." She left the room and dug around her kitchen for her lighter. Korra's eyes followed Asami until she was out of sight. She looked back to the table and pondered. _What could possibly be missing?_ She thought to herself. When it occurred to her, after hearing many drawers open and close to no avail, that the candles were unlit, she put a smug smile on. She shot two little flicks of fire from her fingers and lit the wicks. By the time Asami returned, Korra was leaning against the wall, still looking smug.

Asami looked at the candles, dumbstruck for a split second, until she realized what happened. She crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow, though she shot a smile at Korra.

"What? I'm a firebender." Korra pushed herself off of the wall and sat across from where Asami was standing. All Asami could do was shake her head and chuckle as she took her place at the table.

(-)

"Asami, that food was so good" Korra exclaimed as she plopped onto Asami's bed. She stretched her arms out on either side of her and looked up at her ceiling. With a sigh, she closed her eyes. "Your bed is so comfy" she murmured, thinking back to all of the floors she slept on in her six months alone.

Asami chuckled and sat at the edge of the bed to remove her shoes. She looked over her shoulder to Korra as she stood up to change out of her dress. She took in Korra's figure while she could; muscular and lean (_maybe too lean, _Asami thought, remembering that Korra had spent months on her own and wondering what her diet was like), but there was something else about her. Korra looked very beautiful in her dress clothes, Asami couldn't deny that. But she also looked… _drained_ was the best word Asami could think of. She thought of the bruise she scraped the night before. _How many bruises did she have_? Asami wondered.

"Is everything okay?" Korra brought Asami out of her thoughts. She had caught Asami staring. Even though her face showed concern, her eyes had a mischievous light to them. _Busted_, Asami thought. She gave Korra a small smile and reassured her that everything was fine. She wandered to the bathroom to change. When she emerged, Korra was also changing out of her dress clothes.

"Did you remember pajamas this time?" Asami asked and smiled when Korra froze. _Dammit_, Korra thought as she kept her last layer of clothing on. She stood rigidly from her bent position and turned to Asami with an embarrassed look on her face. Asami chuckled. "It's fine Korra, I've got some you can wear." She didn't move to get them though. Instead, she moved to Korra and rested her forearms on Korra's shoulders. She could see the exhaustion in those blue eyes. She slid her hands down Korra's arms and laced their fingers together. "Come on" she pulled Korra to the bed. Korra sat down and crossed her legs. Asami sat behind her and placed her hands on Korra's shoulders.

"What are you doing… Asami?" She sighed Asami's name as Asami started massaging Korra's shoulders and neck. Korra was in complete bliss: there were few things she loved more than a good massage, and with all of the training and fighting and everything else that had been going on, she welcomed the massage with no hesitation.

Before she realized it, Asami was whispering in her ear. "Lay down." Korra felt a surge travel across her skin from her neck down to her waist. She followed instructions without question. Asami crouched over Korra and continued the massage. Korra could feel the stress melt away, until Asami accidentally struck a particularly painful bruise. Korra winced and Asami stopped immediately.

"Are you okay Korra?" Korra nodded and laid herself flat again (she didn't even realize she had jumped up to lean on her elbows from the pain). Korra closed her eyes and hoped she didn't ruin the moment. She was convinced she had until Asami ran her hands underneath Korra's shirt. Korra let out a very faint moan to the softness of the palms against her. She felt Asami lean down to her ear again as her hands moved higher up her back. They brushed over her bindings and were now on Korra's shoulders. "Maybe we should get this shirt off," Asami whispered.

Korra sat up immediately and helped pull her last layer off. She lay back down and Asami analyzed her back. It was incredibly toned, but also marked with bruises and cuts of many shapes, sizes, and colors. She noticed four fresh lines on Korra's left shoulder that moved right over a bruise. Asami blushed when she realized those marks were from her nails last night and continued massaging around Korra's injuries and bindings to hide her reaction. Throughout the massage, Korra let out small sighs and moans of pleasure, just soft enough to be audible. Korra's volume increased when Asami travelled to her lower back.

"Your lower back is really tense" Asami commented as she increased the pressure. She noticed a shift in Korra's body and couldn't quite place it, but the sound Korra let out made her believe she was enjoying it. She heard Korra mumble "harder" and Asami followed suit. She put as much pressure on her back as she could. She moved over Korra's spine and Korra jolted. Asami jumped off of Korra's back and onto the bed next to Korra. Korra was arched upright, her hands were gripping the sheets, and her eyes were glowing. Korra was in the Avatar State, and her face showed an immense amount of pain. Asami began to tremble and reached out to Korra.

"Water" she heard Korra's voice mixed in with another's. She ran to the sink in the bathroom and filled a large cup up with water. She entered the room but before she could reach Korra, the water was bent out of the cup. Korra was in the same position as her hand, now surrounded by the water, glowed as well. She moved her hand to her back where Asami had been massaging and the brightness of the water intensified. Korra's face grimaced further and she began to sweat, still in the Avatar State. Asami watched, stuck in her tracks, as Korra twitched and continued moving her hand around her lower back. Her body was tense but her movements were gentle, like flowing water. Tears streamed down Korra's face as her hand pulled off of her spine. Asami saw a wave of light follow Korra's hand, as if Korra was pulling something out of her back.

The mass around Korra's hand was larger and brighter than before. It flew to the ground as Korra collapsed onto the bed. She was motionless, except for her deep panting. Asami rushed to her and flipped Korra so her back was against the sheets. Korra opened her eyes weakly, tears no longer flowing down her cheeks. That didn't stop Asami's though. They dripped down onto Korra's chest, mixing with her sweat.

"I'm okay" Korra whispered. She tried to sit up, but Asami held her torso down. Korra put her hand up to Asami's face and wiped away her tears.

"What… what happened?" Asami wasn't sure if she said that aloud or not. Korra's face perplexed for a moment. The Avatar herself wasn't even sure what happened. Asami watched as she tried to recall the events.

"Energy" Korra muttered, closing her eyes and steadying her breathing. She opened them to a confused, but calmer, Asami. "Energy… flows throughout… the body," Korra explained in between deep breaths. She hadn't quite recovered herself yet. "They flow through… different chakras…" Korra continued. Her hand was now on Asami's shoulder. Those green eyes looked into Korra's intently. "And… these chakras… can get congested… when energy… swirls" Korra struggled to explain the concept. "I think… I think you found a spot where the energy was pooled…" Korra tried to sit up again. Asami let her this time and sat beside Korra, her hand around Korra's shoulders.

"Did I…" Asami's voice caught up in her throat again, but only for a second. "Did I hurt you?" Korra shook her head.

"In waterbending healing, we are able to heal and sense energy in bodies." Korra's breath was catching up. "When you put pressure on my back, I don't know how, but I went into the Avatar State" Korra paused and grimaced. "I saw Zaheer again," she continued, lowering her eyes. "But I think I pulled some of the pooled energy out. I don't remember completely."

"You did something with the water I brought you. You had it around your hand, and it was glowing." Asami tightened her grip on Korra and placed her free hand on Korra's forearm. Korra looked even more exhausted then before. Asami pulled her closer and Korra melted into her. She felt the tension in the Avatar's body drain. "Let's get some rest," Asami whispered as she moved them both into a laying position. Korra wrapped her arms around Asami and closed her eyes. She took in Asami's scent and softness as Asami played with Korra's hair.

Before Korra fell into a dreamless sleep, she felt Asami's lips press against her forehead.

(-)

Korra woke up to some of the worst back pain she had ever felt in her life. She was on her side when she opened her eyes, unable to even roll over. She tried to put her hand on her lower back but couldn't. She tried to move once more and groaned. Asami entered the room immediately, carrying a tray of tea.

"Korra, you're awake. Are you okay?" Asami asked as she set the tray next to the bed. She crawled beside Korra and placed a hand on Korra's bare shoulder. Korra looked up at her compassionate eyes with tired ones.

"Asami, my back. It hurts…" That was all Korra could mutter. Asami ran her fingers over Korra's lower back and the dull ache intensified.

"I think I have a heating pad somewhere. Do you want it?" Korra nodded to Asami in response to her question. Asami pulled a blue, cloth covered item out of her drawer. "Can you sit up?" Asami asked as she plugged the device into the nearest outlet. Korra shook her head with teary eyes. Asami gave her a soft smile and slowly moved Korra to a half-sitting position. Korra groaned as she was moved onto the pad. Asami positioned it on Korra's back and turned it on. Heat started flowing to Korra's back and Asami noticed the tension leave Korra's limbs.

"That feels really nice…" Korra sighed as she reached for the tea Asami was handing her.

"You didn't sleep very well last night," Asami admitted with a touch of worry in her eyes. "You were really tense and you were panting. I tried to wake you up but you wouldn't. Were you having nightmares?" Asami's hand was on Korra's again. Korra shook her head.

"I didn't see anything in my sleep last night. I felt a lot though…" Korra finished her tea and placed it on the table next to the bed. She couldn't quite explain what she felt in her sleep.

"I'll get you some more tea and some food." Asami brushed some hair behind Korra's ear and kissed her forehead. Korra looked to her with grateful eyes and a grateful smile. As Asami left, Korra could feel the exhaustion creep into her body once more.

"I'll just close my eyes for a little…" Korra whispered to herself before she fell asleep.

Asami returned with the same tray full of food and tea. She nearly dropped the tray when she saw Korra. Korra was asleep, her whole body limp, but some sort of white mass was floating out of Korra's mouth. It was faint and moved in little waves like the steam of the tea. Asami rushed to Korra's side and checked for a pulse. When she found one, she placed her hands on either side of Korra's face and pleaded for her to wake up. Korra remained motionless. Her breaths were slow and steady, but faint.

"What have I done?" Asami asked herself, tears streaming down her face, as she held Korra's hand in hers. "What have I done…"

***EDIT (12/1/14): Hello everyone! I wanted to thank-you for all of your feedback and reviews. It is very much appreciated. Since I've had some guest reviews that I can't reply to privately, I'm going to reply here! I will also address the user-reviews here as well.

Dreamer: I am so glad that you like my story so much and apologize for the stress it may be inducing. I understand quite well the pains of reading a good story and having to wait and wait for an update. Rest assured, though, as I plan to update within the next week or so (depending on how well my schoolwork/exams go). The Avatar life can be quite mysterious! Korra and Asami's relationship is definitely stronger than your typical friendship and will develop further throughout the story. I very much appreciate all of your compliments! I spent quite some time developing this story. Korra always has a room available to her at Air Temple Island, but she likes to go to Asami's apartment in Republic City as well (different from Asami's Mansion where Mako and Bolin's family is staying). As a note, this is supposed to take place in between episodes eight and nine of book four. Depending on how the story plays out and how Bryke take the rest of the episodes will affect how many chapters this particular storyline will have (though I doubt any others that I write would be unrelated). I hope this answers all of your questions and concerns and thank-you again!

Guest: Thank-you very much for your style comments. I will definitely try to improve upon describing emotional shifts more clearly and redundancy while writing. As I typically tend to overwrite, I was trying to avoid making this chapter _too_ long, but this is definitely something I will work towards improving. I really appreciate your compliments and advice! I hope you continue to enjoy my story as I update within the next week or so.

Danyu: Thank-you for the compliment! I plan on updating within a week or so!

SilverWordsmith47: I'm curious to see where I take this as well. I'm really trying to let the characters speak to me while I picture what could happen. It takes quite a bit of acting out both in my head and physically for it all to make sense. I appreciate your interest and hope you continue following the story!

As of now, this will be my last update on this chapter to address reviews! In the meantime, I will be working on the second chapter. I will still take reviews and private messages if you would like to contact me. Otherwise, I hope you have a wonderful day and I thank-you again for your support!***


	2. Chapter 2

"Hello?"

"Hey Pema."

"Asami, what's wrong?"

Asami had not been crying on the other line; she hadn't let out a sigh or sob of any kind. Her voice was monotone, but collected. Despite this, it was easy for Pema to tell that she _had_ been crying not too long ago. _This isn't like her_, Pema thought. She had never heard Asami sound so grave, even when she hosted her in the Air Temple after Hiroshi's betrayal for the Equalists.

The receiver was quiet.

"Is Tenzin there?"

"No, he just left to go see President Raiko. He's closer to you now than he is to me." Pema paused, trying to offer advice for a problem she knew none of the details of. "Maybe you could swing by or call?"

The line was silent once more.

With a sharp intake of air, Asami replied. "I… I can't. I can't leave." She was losing her composure.

"Asami, what happened?"

Pema was sure she hung up until she heard a very faint sniff.

"It's Korra."

(-)

Oogi landed as gracefully as a giant flying bison could. To both of them, it was just another trip to Republic City. Tenzin hopped off of the saddle and landed with an air current. He spun around to scratch Oogi's fur before heading into President Raiko's office building.

"Greetings, Tenzin" Raiko welcomed the Airbender as he entered the private lobby. He gestured for Tenzin to sit. "It's been some time since we've gotten to talk, one on one." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. His hands were intertwined and perpendicular against his mouth. With Kuvira on the rise, it was no surprise that the President seemed tense.

"Indeed it has." Tenzin sat forward as well, but kept his back straight. He hid his suspicion of Raiko, half expecting the intent of this "meeting" to involve discussions of a plan of action well before the other world leaders were to arrive. Before he could continue, one of the staff approached the pair. Raiko sat up and turned his attention to the man. Tenzin followed suit after a brief glance at the President.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but you have a phone call Tenzin. They requested to speak to you in private." Tenzin exchanged a look with Raiko before rising to his feet. He followed the man to a smaller room, who left once Tenzin had the receiver in his hand.

"Hello? Who is this?" Tenzin asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Tenzin, it's me." His features tensed. _Something's not right_.

"Pema, are you and the children safe?"

"We're all fine, Tenzin." She paused and took a breath. "Asami called. Something's wrong with Korra."

Tenzin felt his heart skip a beat.

"What happened?"

Another pause.

"I'm not sure, to be honest. I couldn't get much information from Asami. She… she started crying. I've never heard her like that before." Pema swallowed and continued. "I told her where you were but she said she couldn't leave. So I told her I would contact you for her. She doesn't want anyone to know about this. But the way she sounded…"

They understood each other even in the silence that followed. Tenzin gathered himself.

"I'll head over right away." There was no verbal response, but he knew Pema had nodded. "Everything will be alright," he reassured her, barely believing his own words. _I hope they will be_. It was a shared thought. With that, he hung up the phone and left the room.

He returned to the private lobby to find Raiko sitting at the edge of the couch in the same hunched position as before. The other leaders hadn't arrived yet.

"I have to leave," Tenzin announced. "There's an important family matter I must attend to." He stopped when their eyes met.

"Is anyone hurt?" Raiko rose as he spoke. Tenzin kept his gaze.

"I certainly hope not."

"We will postpone the meeting. I will let the others know immediately." Tenzin responded with a grateful nod and left the room. Oogi, who had moved out of the doorway and into the small courtyard, stood with surprise. Tenzin propelled himself onto the bison and gave a hasty "yip, yip". Oogi set off towards the other side of Republic City with a blast of air, sharing the same urgency that the Airbending Master felt.

(-)

Asami hadn't left Korra's side.

She was sitting on the bed next to her. One hand was grasping Korra's, hoping for some sort of response from the limp fingers. The other stroked her short brown locks in an attempt to bring both of them comfort. She had wrapped Korra in two blankets – not because Korra only had her bindings on her torso – but because her body was cold. Asami had always been the colder one of the two, and even when Asami had taken care of the Avatar when she was crippled, her body had not been _this_ cold. The faint waves of white were still rising from Korra's mouth. _Had her heat been escaping?_ she thought, wondering if shutting her jaw would put an end to all of this. She dare not move Korra's body, though. If she was meditating, it would be one thing. But Asami had no idea what this was.

She kept going through everything that happened in her head. The massage. The lower back. Avatar State. Water. Energy. Chakras. Pain. Cold. So, so _cold_. She looked down at Korra and checked her pulse again for the fifth time that hour. _Still there._ She checked for a breath. _Still there,_ still the same slow rise and fall. Asami sighed and curled herself around Korra, careful not to move her. Her thumb moved back and forth against those unmoving fingers.

Memories crept back into her mind. She saw Korra on the ground, writhing from metal poison coursing through her veins. Asami remembered the weakness in her knees, how her heart had pounded and her breath was halted as she watched Suyin bend the poison out of her. _Those glowing eyes_… they weren't the same ones she saw last night. It was almost as if the light was weaker, though the moment was still intense. She thought to the letters. The recovery.

"_I still can't go into the Avatar state. I keep having visions of Zaheer…" _Asami felt pain in her dry eyes as they tried to well up with tears. _"…I worry I'll never fully recover."_

They fell, yet again. Asami used her free hand to wipe them away.

"…_it's easier to tell you about this stuff."_ She gripped Korra's hand and kissed her forehead. All she wanted was to hold her and do whatever it took to help.

(-)

Tenzin didn't wait for Oogi to land before he soared off of him. He landed with air currents and raced into the complex. Oogi flew away but stayed close to the area. Tenzin raced up the stairs to Asami's apartment, having been there before with Pema when Korra first went missing. When he reached the landing, he walked to her door, giving himself time to breath. He knocked and listened closely. After a long pause, he heard footsteps approach.

Worried eyes met worried eyes.

"Where is she?"

Asami shut the door behind her and led the way, doing what she could to keep herself together. Tenzin halted when he saw Korra. Asami continued, tucking another blanket around Korra's body. He surveyed the area before approaching. Korra's shirt was on the back of a chair, folded over neatly. The chair was beside the bed next to the Avatar. A tray of food and tea was on the end table, cold and untouched. Asami was dressed in her usual garb and her hair was pulled back, but this was the only composed component to her. Tenzin could feel her pain and her struggle to hold it back in front of him. She doesn't like to show weakness and he was well aware of it.

"How long has she been like this?" His eyes scanned the almost-upright Korra. He noted the white vapors escaping from her.

"About two hours." Asami half-choked the words out. She sat in the chair instead of on the bed and checked Korra's pulse again. "She's… she's so cold Tenzin."

Sadness filled his eyes when they met Asami's. He stood beside her and placed a hand on Korra's forehead. She almost felt lifeless.

"What happened?"

Asami swallowed hard. It all flashed into her head once more, and she struggled to find words to explain it all.

"Korra and I ate dinner. Then I gave her a massage," she paused, trying to fight the redness in her cheeks. "She was feeling really stressed and tense. So I was massaging her, and when I got to her lower back…" this time, she fought a wince at the memory of Korra snapping into the Avatar State. "I moved across her spine and she burst into the Avatar State." _Those eyes_…

She looked up at Tenzin for the first time to see his eyes wide in shock. She looked away quickly and continued.

"She wanted water, so I brought her some. She bent it in her hand and put it on her back. She pulled her hand away and it was glowing. Then she fell out of the Avatar State and collapsed onto the bed." Asami didn't remember at what point she had grabbed Korra's hand, but she was squeezing it. Tenzin stood motionless. "She woke up this morning and said she was feeling a lot of lower back pain. I put a heating pad on it to relieve the ache. I went to get food and tea for her and when I came back…"

She couldn't finish. She didn't have to. Tenzin wrapped his arm around Asami's shoulders. This unexpected gesture instantly got her attention. She looked up into his eyes and hid her tears well. They looked back to Korra. The silence was thick in the room; both of their heads were swirling.

"She mentioned something, after she left the Avatar State." Asami stood up as she spoke. She looked at Tenzin with determination in her eyes. "Something about energy. Energy and chakras."

The gears in the Airbender's mind clicked. "You said this happened when you hit her lower back?"

Asami nodded. "When I went over the base of her spine."

Tenzin stroked his beard in contemplation. "The base of the spine represents the Earth Chakra. It deals with survival and is blocked by," he paused at the realization, "fear." Asami was no stranger to the nightmares Korra had. _"I keep having visions of Zaheer..."_ Asami recalled the letter. _They haven't stopped, have they?_

"Pooled energy. What about pooled energy?" Asami broke Tenzin's gaze at Korra. "She mentioned that energy can swirl around the chakras."

Tenzin nodded. "There are seven chakras that allow energy to flow throughout the body. For the Avatar, energy flow is linked to the Avatar State. When too much energy pools around a chakra, it can get blocked, which prevents proper flow in the body and can inhibit the Avatar State." Tenzin explained in almost a recital, as if quoting whoever taught him about the chakras.

He slid by Asami and looked closely at the white wave leaving Korra's mouth. "This is energy," he spoke as he straightened and pointed to the puff that just escaped. "It's escaping from Korra's body, most likely from that pool around the Earth chakra. You started the process when you hit the base of her spine," he paused and turned to Korra. "She must have tried to remove this energy in the Avatar State but could only remove a small amount."

He bent down and touched her forehead again.

"Is there anything I can do?" Asami's hands were clasped at her chest. That determination in her eyes was mixed with guilt. Tenzin straightened and crossed his arms, one of his hands grasping his chin.

"I'm not sure. I don't know exactly what Korra is going through right now. The energy _is_ escaping, but I don't think we can – or should, for that matter – speed up the process. You've been doing a good job of keeping her how she is. I'm afraid that's all we _can_ do until she wakes up."

Asami looked at Korra and back at Tenzin with frantic eyes. "What if she never wakes up?" she paused, "And why is she so _cold_?" Asami couldn't let that part go. She wasn't used to Korra being this way and she _knew_ something wasn't right.

Tenzin placed his hands on either of her shoulders. "Korra will wake up Asami. We have to be patient. There's only so much energy pooled around that chakra. Once it escapes, she should be awake. As for the cold…" He didn't have an answer for this one. His hands fell to his sides and he turned to look out the window. His arms were crossed and his chin was cupped again, his mind deep in thought.

"Maybe it's from the energy escaping?" Asami offered, thinking of the relation of heat to energy that she used in the engines of her Satomobile designs.

Tenzin spun around. "Perhaps. I'm really not sure." He crossed the room and inspected Korra once more. "Try to keep her as warm as you can. If her body temperature drops too low…" He trailed off. They both knew what it meant. Asami instinctively checked Korra's pulse. _Still there._

Tenzin sighed and sat in the chair. "Now, we wait."

(-)

It had been a long, silent day.

Tenzin spent most of his time meditating in the other room while Asami stayed with Korra. He would always return with a shake of his head. During his first session, he had been trying to recall any information Aang may have taught him about the chakras and being an Avatar that may have been useful for Korra. The second was an attempt to feel Korra's spiritual energy, since Asami was still concerned about Korra's dropping body temperature. She wasn't told what the third meditation was for, but by the look on Tenzin's face before he left, she had assumed it was to help him through the situation. She had wondered if Jinora might be a better candidate to find the answers they needed, but she dared not make the suggestion; she didn't want to hurt the Airbending Master's pride. So she let the thought go and continued to check Korra's pulse. _Still there, _she reassured herself.

The sun was setting outside when Tenzin returned. If there was any turmoil within him, he masked it well.

"I should return to the Air Temple for the night." He didn't need to explain. Asami acknowledged him with a nod. She turned her attention back to the Avatar. Tenzin shifted towards the exit, but couldn't bring himself to leave. He stared into the hallway with a hand on the door frame.

"Tenzin?" Asami noticed that he hadn't left. He budged from the entrance and faced the bed where Korra lay. A wave of concern for each other spread when their eyes met.

"Will you be alright Asami?"

She nodded in response. Tenzin mirrored the movement. Everything had affected her much more than he initially believed. She had not left Korra's side at all since he arrived, not even to eat or drink. There were a few moments when he heard a very faint sob when Asami thought he would be too deep in meditation to notice. He looked back to the tray of rigid food and cold tea for a moment before his eyes returned to Asami.

"Please take care of yourself." His voice was sincere even though is features were hardened again. Asami didn't respond to this. When Tenzin motioned to leave, she tore herself away from Korra to see him out. He shot her a look of concern before he left. She shut the door and put her forehead against it as she turned the lock. She closed her eyes, her hand still on the knob.

Hunger pains brought her out of the blackness she saw. This wasn't a mere hunger in her stomach, though. She hungered for Korra. She wanted to be beside her, to feel her warmth again, to hear her voice. It was almost as if she was back in the South Pole or Spirits knows where when she was missing and Asami was here, in the bustling Republic City, alone.

She shook her head and pushed herself upright. She thought of Tenzin's last words as she passed the kitchen. With a sigh, she put a pot on the burner for tea. As it boiled, she left to check on Korra. The room was dark now that the sun had set. Asami had not bothered to turn a light on during the twilight; doing so would require her to leave Korra's side. The moon had not even offered her solace as it hid behind incoming storm clouds. She could see the faint glow of white swirls exiting Korra's mouth in the darkness, but there was another dull light as well.

Asami squinted and approached the Avatar. She climbed onto the bed and examined her eyes. They were closed as they had been all day, but a small amount of light was protruding through the slits. It was too faint to notice in the harsh sunlight of the day. She hesitated and lifted a shaking hand towards Korra's face. Her fingers caressed the cold eyelids.

With a deep breath, Asami slid Korra's eyes open. She was met with a bright white glow from each and jerked back, causing the lids to close again. Her breath caught in her throat and she felt her whole body quiver. Her eyes were brighter than they had been last night, but still not as strong as…

Asami flew out of the bed to an unusual, alarming sound and scanned the room in a defensive position. She grabbed her gauntlet from the end table drawer, a flashback of a poisoned, Avatar State Korra almost dead in the forefront of her mind. She put a pulse to the glove to make a stream of electricity flow around her hand and pushed her pounding heartbeat out of her ears to sharpen her hearing. Her eyes didn't stop moving around the room, flicking to each corner, the door frame, the window, the Avatar. It all hit her at once. She shifted to a more aggressive stance by moving a step closer to the bed. She knew the stakes, knew what would happen if Korra was wounded in the Avatar State…

And she sure as hell knew that she wasn't going to go down without a fight.

(-)

EDIT: 12/22/14

Hello everyone! Thank-you again so much for your support, reviews, follows, subscriptions, favorites, etc! You are all quite wonderful! Sorry for the late update. Final exams and the LOK Finale got in the way of my writing. My exams went well and now that I've got a week off, I was finally able to update this fic. I've also been writing another Korrasami fanfic (unrelated to this one) that has been really speaking to me for the past two weeks or so. As you will see, I eventually got back to this fic because the story finally progressed to me.

Anyways, thank-you again for your reviews and support! I plan on continuing to update this fic with potentially two to three more chapters, depending on how it speaks to me. In the meantime, please enjoy this next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

Korra couldn't tell if her eyes were open or not; all she could see was darkness. _Am I even seeing?_ She tried to feel around until she realized she couldn't move. _Is there ground beneath me?_ Korra thought as she focused on the nerves in her back and shoulders. _Nothing_.

She was right; there was nothing. Nothing to feel. Nothing to see. Nothing to hear. Absolutely _nothing_.

_There can't be nothing_, she thought. _There has to be something because I'm breathing. I am breathing, aren't I?_ She brought her attention to her lungs but wasn't able to decipher if they were moving or not. She sounded her voice, but once again, there was nothing. Not a single whisper escaped her lips.

Her eyes kept scanning the blackness. Her body ached to feel. Her head yearned to turn. She just wanted _something_, some kind of… well _anything_.

_Am I standing? Am I anywhere? Am I __alive__? _Korra's mind seemed to be the only piece of her that was working right now. She couldn't even feel her heart.

_I've got to be alive, because I'm definitely thinking. This voice has got to be my thoughts. Because I __am__ thinking, right?_ Or was she? _What is this…_

She strained to close her eyes and take a deep breath to calm herself, but even if she was successful, there was no sign of any physical change. So she played pretend. Imagined herself breathing and blinking and seeing. She pictured herself sitting down, back straight, legs crossed, knuckles together, meditating under a sunny sky. She wasn't sure why she had chosen this specific instant, this particular memory of something she had done so often, until she realized who was next to her…

_Asami_… Korra's focus broke. _What was she doing now? Is she okay? Am I okay? Did something happen to us? To her? Where is she? _Her mind wouldn't stop and it raced with urgency. _What the hell happened?!_ She mentally shook her head, trying to recall anything recent.

She struggled to think. _Is my mind going numb now too?_

This inability to move and feel wasn't a new concept to her, unfortunately. Neither was the incapability of breathing. Seeing and controlling only her thoughts and nothing else, though, was.

_Am I a spirit?_ Korra disputed this idea. _I would know if I was a spirit or in the Spirit World_, she paused, _I think. _She hadn't been in the Spirit World in three years. She was unable to cross over every time she meditated. She tried different locations, changed the time of day, even altered her routine and diet. The attempts always ended the same: her panting, sweating, and screaming in frustration. Hell, there were times when she would concentration for hours and couldn't even feel Raava –

_Raava!_ It came back to her now. Korra had been with Asami in her bed, getting a massage – _those hands_ – Korra snapped from her daydreaming and continued her train of thought. If she wasn't physically smiling, then she was in her head. _She was rubbing my back, then she moved lower… Dammit Korra, you need to focus! _

Everything went blank. What she thought would have been her heart or stomach dropped in her mind.

_What if I never got to feel those hands again?_ The notion plowed its way into Korra. Any connection to her being that she was experiencing right now trembled. _What if I never get to see her? To hear her voice? Or touch her? Or tell her – _Korra's own mental scream cut her off.

_Would you concentrate?! Spirits! _Her thoughts were quiet for a moment. She took another fake breath.

_Okay. Asami was rubbing my back, she went to my lower back, I told her to push harder, she did. _Korra could feel what she had believed to be her brain tense up, fighting to remember. She longed for Asami's delicate, strong fingers on her again. It pulled her attention away into another irritated shout. _What had even gotten me to think of this?!_

She felt hopeless, like she was falling into a dark, mental abyss. _Maybe it was better this way_. Korra began to doubt herself, sending her further down. _Everything I've done has just made the world worse. I've thrown everything out of balance instead of restoring it._ She sighed. _Besides, it's not like anyone needs – "That's ridiculous." _Familiar words interrupted her thoughts. _"You're the Avatar. The world needs you."_

_Asami?_ She struggled to hone in towards the pale woman's voice. _Where did it come from? _Korra tried to reach out, feeling the equivalent of tears inside. The words rang again. _"You're the Avatar. The world needs you."_

_Avatar…_

White light flashed into her eyes. It was so bright after such darkness that Korra was sure she had been permanently blinded.

When everything faded, she was no longer met with nothingness. She still could not feel her body; she wasn't sure if she had skin or a heart or if her lungs were even going right now. But she could see again.

With what came before her, though, she wished she couldn't see a damn thing.

Wooden shelves had surrounded her, pushed against the walls of a small room. A familiar tension shook her mind, almost like a painful loss of control. She heard the voice before she could spot the person, more the _mask_, that had haunted her just a few years ago.

Her sight was craned up against her will.

She was face to face with Amon. She panicked. _No, this can't be happening again, not again, I can't lose my bending again._ Her thoughts pounded. His presence dominated as if Korra was still there, body completely controlled by blood bending, his hands getting closer to her forehead…

That exact image was happening before her, _to_ her. It wasn't the young teenager of Korra's past that Amon had gripped, the girl she had seen in her hallucinations in the swamp. It was the current Korra, the imbalanced Korra, the doubtful Korra, the _fearful_ Korra.

The palm moved towards her, and that similar trembling returned. The sensation of being unable to bend sprung back from her buried memories. She tried moving her arms to shoot every element she could, to no avail. _No! NO!_

_No._ Her demeanor had completely shifted. _I am not afraid of you anymore Amon. _She felt a white fire behind her eyes. His hands were on her head but nothing changed. Nothing happened. His blood bending had failed him.

_You can't hurt me anymore!_ Korra's mind screeched. She felt powerful and a bit less… hollow? Before she could decrypt it, she broke through his physical manipulation of her body and another flash of light blinded her. Amon's scream filled her ears until he had disappeared.

There was silence again. Korra's head swirled. _He's gone, _she thought in relief, the turmoil simmering inside. The light increased in intensity as the pressure faded. Instead of the white in her vision fading, though, she felt it ripped out of her.

Korra could feel pain again. Separation. Emptiness.

This wasn't quite a physical ache. Korra had trouble placing it. She tried to move her head around but still had no change in what she saw. This sense of loss felt much more like a spiritual one…

_Raava!_ Her eyes finally came to focus. Korra watched as a weakened Raava was curled before her, battered under the force of Unalaq. The wrench she felt had been him tearing the light spirit out of her.

_No!_ Her mental screams didn't matter. Nothing stopped him from destroying Raava right in front of the crippling Avatar.

Korra saw darkness swirl around her again. Her sight was black, but the screams of the citizens of Republic City by the hands of Una-Vaatu were ringing in her ears. She felt barren without Raava and hung her mental head. _What am I going to do now? I can't stop him. Raava's gone. The Avatar… my past lives… gone…_

"_You have light and peace inside of you."_ Korra felt a small echo originate from within her._ "If you let it out, you can change the world around you."_ The words drowned out the noise of the destruction.

Korra couldn't believe it. _Iroh?_ She recalled her visit to the Spirit World. _He's right_. Korra knew this. She knew she would get Raava back. She would reconnect with her. How could she forget? Most of all, Una-Vaatu couldn't stop this. _Not anymore._

She closed her eyes knowingly now, and looked deep into herself. Visions of her brashness, of her mistakes, of Una-Vaatu flooded her sight. They enveloped her in guilt and eventual darkness.

"_You are the Avatar." _A different voice forced her eyes open.

_I have light inside of me. I am the Avatar! You can't take that away from me! _A beam of light shot out in front of her. It kept moving, pulling Korra with it. She had never moved this fast in her life. She was fighting the Dark Avatar again, but this time, it was different. She felt stronger, brighter, fuller, and more powerful than she had that day.

_Raava._ She knew the feeling anywhere. She felt her spirit reconnect and spread outwards, aimed right at the dark monster in front of her. Light began to disintegrate Una-Vaatu until it covered everything that Korra could see. The brightness overwhelmed her. That villain, that _fear_, was no more. A piece of her had returned. For the second time during whatever the hell this was, Korra felt at ease.

That, of course, didn't last long.

Korra let out a scream, a _real_ scream instead of the mental outbursts she was imagining to be her voice. Every ounce of feeling in her body had returned, and the numbness was replaced by horrible, horrible pain. Her sight was still white but that didn't stop her from collapsing onto the ground. There wasn't a single part of her that didn't burn. Sight wasn't necessary to know what it was. She didn't _want_ to see it anymore. It rushed back anyways, despite her efforts to fight it.

There he was.

She crawled to her feet. Raava was coursing through her veins. So was poison. And pain. Anger. Power. _Fear_.

Her body flew from another blow that she couldn't control and crashed onto a different rock. She had no authority over herself. Every hit, every attempted counter, every jab of pain, it was all the same, the same as every nightmare he was in, the same as every vision that blocked her when she meditated or fought or did _anything_, it seemed.

_I… I can fight him. I can win this time. If I just…_

The hurting amplified when she collided with the ground once more. She shrieked. She shut her eyes. She wanted it all to go away.

That's when her breath went away too.

Zaheer was bending the air out of her. Korra tried to counter bend, but it was no use. She felt the life drain and fall out of her. Raava raged. The poison burned. Her limbs shut down. Her eyesight began to blacken around the edges.

The fear took over.

Korra jerked her body. She twisted and bent and fought and tried to struggle her way out of this horrid nightmare.

_He's got me. He's got me and I can't get out. I can't bend. I can't fight. I can't breathe. I can't __breathe__. I'm going to die. He's going to kill me. He's going to…_

Life was fading from her. She didn't stand a chance.

_Raava. Raava, save me. Get me out of here. _She begged with a voice she didn't have. She was in her mind again. Zaheer was gone but the pain wasn't. Her body throbbed and perpetually fell through what felt like an eternal tunnel. She still couldn't breathe.

_This is it. I almost died. I'm going to die. He's still out there. _Another quake shook her entire being.

_I can't. I can't hold on…anymore. I want to fight, but I can't… _She was slipping. Her connection with Raava wavered and weakened.

What had been so different? Why had she been able to fight the others, but not Zaheer? Korra clasped her throat, still choking, still falling.

_Raava… anyone…_she called out faintly. Korra continued to squirm in her plummet. She became more and more aware of her body. The temperature in her limbs shot up from a freezing cold to a burning heat. The flames increased with the pain, increased with the suffocation. A pounding heart consumed her ears. She cringed in many violent shakes. It was all too much, too raw, too excruciating.

_Raava…_

With a crash, she slammed into herself, and she could finally breathe again. She gasped for air and wailed, hands to her neck and hot tears down her cheeks. Everything around her was dark, although not nearly as much as before. A soft light came in through the window, a mixture of the nighttime commotion radiating in from Republic City. An occasional burst of light would fill the room from the ensuing thunderstorm. Korra was drenched in sweat. Her entire body hurt. She slid her palms down to her chest, pitting them against her heavy breathing and pounding heart. The thumping filled her ears and the corners of her eyes became a fuzzy white.

Korra lay there for what felt like forever. A crash of thunder rumbled through her core. _What is going on? _Her fingers clutched the sheets as she struggled to pull herself into a sitting position. Her head was throbbing though her body began to calm down. She closed her eyes to push away the remainder of her tears. She opened them to regained vision and the horror that stunned her peripherals.

She jumped to her feet, as painful as it was, with her back facing the window. Another flash of lightning lit the room. "No… No!.. Not you again!" She growled, staring into the glowing eyes before her.

The apparition, Spirit, hallucination, _whatever the hell it was_, Korra thought, stood before her, a somewhat mirror image of her past self: chains wrapped around her wrists, hair longer and disheveled, clothes tattered, eyes white… it had all of the same ferocity of when she faced Zaheer, and induced all of the same fear.

This version of herself, _was it myself?_, Korra pondered. _What is this thing? Who are you?_, stepped forward and Korra recoiled backward.

"Get away from me!"

It advanced again. Korra retreated.

"Leave me alone!"

Her back was against the wall. The howling wind coming in smoothed across her almost-bare back, bringing some of the cold rain with it. The room lit up from the storm and thunder shook the entire room. She couldn't keep her body still once the light faded and those eyes illuminated in the darkness.

It brought a hand up to her and fear overwhelmed her.

"Get. Away!" She shot a gust of air towards the dark entity. It dodged it with incredible speed and sent a chain towards Korra. She rolled to her right and shuffled to her feet.

"Who are you?! What do you want from me?!"

The apparition turned to face her without a word. _What are you supposed to be?_, Korra pried her mind. _What are you? _Those glowing eyes seem to burrow deep into her.

Another blaze of lightning filled the room until darkness returned. She saw fire coming towards her and bent it away. She sent another powerful stream of air towards the hallucination but she was much too slow.

"Why don't you leave me alone?! Why do you keep coming back?!" Korra spewed her own fire from her fist but the blast went wide to the left. She dove to the floor to avoid another hit from her dark vision. Her body was trembling and she struggled to get to her feet.

The Spirit was face to face with Korra now, just a few inches away. Her eyes widened with dread as she gazed into the white glow before her. She stood frozen, getting lost in those two bright lights staring back at her. It moved towards her once more. Before she could even think or analyze the motion, she reacted.

Air and fire rained through the room from Korra's limbs. The hallucination flew backwards and avoided every blow with ease. It was a near circle around the room until Korra had ended up near the opposite wall from where she started by the window. The more she bent, the more blinded her eyesight had become. Her body ached as she tired from the gestures. The phantom hadn't thrown a single attack, but Korra felt like she had been pounded to the Spirit World and back. It felt worse than her beating from Kuvira a few days ago. Fear and exhaustion reduced her to her knees. She clutched her ribs as she fought for air.

It was there, in front of her again, just looking at her.

"What do you want from me?" It came out between gasps. Korra was hunched over, palms against the ground. She dropped her eyes from the hallucination and tried to blink her tears away. She felt weak. Her body wouldn't stop trembling and her chest heaved. She was no Avatar. She was nothing.

She flinched from the hand on her shoulder and fell backwards, expecting the final blow from the illusion that had been haunting her for so long. She scurried on her side until her shoulders hit a wall. The tears wouldn't stop.

"Korra?"

It was the first voice she had heard, other than the ones in her head and her own, throughout this whole ordeal. She rubbed her eyes to clear her sight, but it was of no use. Her head churned, and although she couldn't see that dark _thing_ anymore, the terror never left.

"Korra..." Her name was repeated by the same voice, though this time, the call sounded hesitant. A pair of hands covered her bare shoulders. Their familiarity pulled her away from the shock she was enduring. She felt arms around her, cradling her.

Korra continued to convulse. Everything was morphing from a dark battlefield to just darkness, barely illuminated by a light nearby. Soon, she simmered. She closed her eyes and melted into the embracing figure. She refused to open them, afraid of seeing that apparition one more time. Even in stillness, her tears raged on. All she could do was whimper to the delicate, strong fingers caressing her. She knew them well, knew their effect on her, knew their power. The haze in her mind began to clear, and one thought filled the empty space.

_Asami._


	4. Chapter 4

Notes: Hello everyone! Sorry it took so long to update this story. I had a few others that came to mind when I was finished with Chapter 3 of this fic, as well a transition from a forty hour work week to school again. After some time, Energy started speaking again and this came to fruition. I hope you enjoy it. I appreciate all of the support that you have given me throughout this story (and my others, if you have read them). I know the beginning of this fic is a bit rocky (writing quality wise), but I'd like to think I've improved over the weeks I've been working on my stories. This chapter should address some of the questions that have been coming up in my reviews as well. I'm thinking this might be an eight or nine chapter thing, since I hope to continue it past "Beyond the Wilds" but finish it before "Operation Beifong". There's sure to be more Korrasami in the future (such as the AU I've been working on) and other fics that come to my mind (including some requests I've received from people). In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this chapter and feel free to leave feedback.

Thank-you again for all of your support. You mean the world to me!

* * *

><p>Her breath was steady. Eyes were closed. Torsos clutched. Silent. An external observer would deem them tranquil from their appearance.<p>

They were anything but tranquil.

Their hearts were racing out of their chests for different reasons. Sweat dripped down Korra's exposed back. Her legs were cramped and tired in their curled position. Her arms wanted to shake, but couldn't from fatigue. She felt herself slipping into darkness from the amount of pain pulsing through her body.

_Just let it take me. Let it make everything stop, just for a little while._

Korra wanted an escape, a hiding place from her nightmares, from that _thing_ that kept following her. She was brought back by Asami's hands tightening around her shoulders. It was as if the woman could sense her internal plummet.

"Korra." Her voice was a stern whisper that demanded attention.

The Avatar fought to open her eyes, to address the urgency. Her lids unstuck. Her vision blurred into focus on the pale face in front of her. It was much too dark, with only dim light coming from the hallway.

_Asami? _She tried to speak, but failed.

A flash of light from the storm outside granted Korra a better look, if just for a second. It was enough to take in the situation and make her heart drop. Asami's face was riddled with worry. There were tear streaks from the corners of each puffy emerald. Her hair was somewhat disheveled. One cheek was red with the onset of swelling, while the other was colored with blood leaking out from a fresh, three-inch long horizontal cut.

_Spirits._

Sure, Asami had been in plenty of fights in the past. Korra has been a witness to her power and skill. _Never_ had she seen the engineer get injured like this before.

_What happened?_

The Southerner struggled to bring a now-quivering hand up to the inventor's wound. Her body felt too feeble to manage. She brushed the injury with her fingertips, staining her skin with the warm liquid oozing from it. The older woman held her wince.

"Korra, we need to get you out of here. It's not safe."

Before she could ask for details, Asami rose, pulling the weakened Avatar with her. Korra's legs wobbled to the weight placed on them, like she was back in the Southern Water Tribe learning how to walk again. Her head swirled from the blood rushing into it. Her limbs throbbed, and she began to lose sight again.

The engineer swung Korra's arm around her shoulders to prop her up. "I've got you. Come on, we need to leave before more of them come."

_Who?_ She wanted to ask. Her vocal chords would not work. She panicked. _Why can't I do anything? Why am I so weak right now? Move body! MOVE! _

Nothing.

Asami half-dragged, half-carried Korra out of the apartment. Her distorted blue eyes picked up on the shadows of slumped bodies around them. Some were against the wall. Others were heaps on the floor. Another crash of thunder brought her back, but it was the metal cable flying towards them that made her jump.

Or at least, she thought she jumped.

A smack of her head against the ground told her otherwise. It made her vision and neck snap from one side to the other. She was unsure as to whether she had tried to get into a fighting stance and failed or if Asami had tossed her to the side out of protection. Either way, Korra's half-fuzzy eyes watched as the CEO dodged a second metal cable and caught a third in a way that reminded the Avatar of their run-in on the train with Kuvira's men a few days ago.

_Wait a minute._

She focused on their aggressors. She couldn't see much, but the bright plated shoulder pads were a dead giveaway.

_Kuvira's men._

Asami shocked the cord in her hand with her electric glove (W_hen did she put that on?, _Korra wondered), and yanked the man down with a turn of her body. It was a calculated shift, as were all of her movements, that allowed the engineer to avoid two metal chunks that rushed past her face.

_I need to help!_ Korra fought to gain control of her body. _Come ON. Move!_ She just managed to crawl onto her hands and knees when the last of the green-and-black suited men fell next to her.

The Avatar didn't even have time to look up at Asami before she was being tugged down the hallway. _How am I running? _She looked to her legs with incredulous eyes. Each step ached almost as much as the grip around her wrist. Black and red claws crept into the corners of Korra's sight. Her head was hammering and fading away from her.

Asami ran as fast as she could, her peripherals scanning every inch of the area around them for metalbenders.

"_All hail the Great Uniter."_ The man's voice echoed in her head.

She tried to shove the thoughts away as they rounded a corner. Korra's knee gave out and she slipped. She heard a thud against a door nearby and pulled the shorter woman to her feet.

"_We will destroy the Avatar." _The voices returned. The banging amplified.

Adrenaline fueled her muscles and made her function in ways she never thought possible. The engineer tackled the stairwell door open.

_Where… where are we… _Korra's body started growing limp despite her efforts to stay awake. _What is… happening… to me…_

_Korra?!_

Asami skipped several steps. She grabbed Korra's arms and whipped her onto her back before the younger woman could tumble down stairs. The panting of her breath and the pounding of her heart filled her ears. She pulled the drifting Southerner closer.

_Come on, Korra. Stay with me. We'll get through this._

"_The Earth Empire will rise and you will all fall beneath us."_

She carried the Avatar out into the pouring rain with a charge of the exit. The inventor was sure she would have bruised shoulders in the morning (well, bruised a _lot_ of things), but she didn't care.

"_You can't escape."_

Asami brought her fingers to her lips and let out a sharp whistle. They bolted from the apartment and never looked back. The storm soaked through their clothes and the gusts penetrated their burning exteriors with a chilling blast. The combination reduced visibility to a radius of just a few feet.

A faint bark reached her ears after another high pitched call. _Thank the Spirits._ Within seconds, Naga joined them and knelt down in front of the pair.

"We need to get to Air Temple Island!" Asami yelled over the wind as she hoisted Korra onto the polar bear dog's saddle.

"A – Asami…" Her voice was but a whisper. It was all she could muster, though she was surprised she could speak at all. She felt the engineer wrap her arms around her torso, holding her in an upright position against the front of her body, while she took Naga's reigns.

Before she could say another word, darkness consumed her.

(-)

The storm raged outside and filled the silence. A crash of thunder shook the building. Asami was unfazed in her defensive stance, electric glove at the ready. She took another step towards the bed where the Avatar lay, unconscious and cold. The faint plume of white drifted from her mouth in the darkness. She risked a glance over her shoulder at the slumbering woman when an object flew past her face and stuck itself into the wall. She rolled to the side and stood in a half-crouch, examining the situation. Another piece was shot in her direction. She titled her left shoulder back to dodge it and looked to the doorway. A man with a buzz cut blocked the exit. The dark colors of his uniform were muffled in the low light of the room, but the metallic shoulder pads of his armor reflected it well.

"Give us the Avatar."

Asami blocked the path between Korra and the metalbender. "What do you want with her?" If tones could kill, the man would have dropped to the floor as a lifeless corpse.

"The Avatar is a threat to the Earth Empire. She must be eliminated."

"If you want her, you're going to have to go through me first."

The man chucked in a deep, disturbing way. "We _will_ destroy the Avatar."

"Over my dead body."

His grin was even more off-putting. "It's settled then." He lurched forward and bent more plates at her. Asami maneuvered around them and closed the gap with each movement. The man retreated into the hallway, but the engineer was too quick. She advanced and ducked under a metal cable sent her way. With a quick spin, she swept the calves of her aggressor and sent him to the ground. She kneeled over his body and shocked him with her glove before he could retaliate.

Asami rose to her feet when she heard another voice, but it was too late. Metal cords constricted her abdomen and hauled her away from the bedroom into darkness. She screamed in her head.

_Korra!_

(-)

"Hello? Is anyone here?"

Her question resonated against the silence.

"Asami? Naga? Tenzin? Anyone?"

Nothing.

_Where is everyone? _Korra rubbed her eyes and tried to focus on her surroundings. When she was greeted with darkness, she brushed them again and attempted to blink the lack of imagery away.

"Not again." She sighed, turning full circle to search for any sort of change in what she saw. Every inch was black. It felt different this time, though she couldn't explain it.

_What was it? _

"Wait, I can move." Korra flapped her arms and kicked out her legs. Though she couldn't see them, she _felt _the movement. "And I can talk." She paused and cupped her hands around her mouth to amplify her voice. "Asaamiiii! Naaagaaaa! Can you hear me?!"

The only response was the dying echo floating away from her.

"Where am I?"

(-)

Asami's back smacked against the wall. A white flash filled her sight for a moment and she groaned from the impact. She slumped to one knee and held her ribcage. Her body was free from the metal cables that yanked her into the living room. The faint sound of water boiling seemed melodic as it clashed with the harsh gusts that pounded the windows, demanding entry. This eerie combination was augmented by the tension filled silence. All noise was cut by the swoosh of a spinning wheel and the rip of a cord coming at her.

The engineer rose in an instant and took hold of the cable, much to her attacker's surprise. She tensed her hand and sent a shock down the wire. The man screamed and collapsed from the electrocution. Several other invaders that were approaching the bedroom changed their direction. Their stances grew aggressive and they bent metal plates in unison at Asami. She retreated to a nearby corner and ducked behind the wall, spine to plaster. The ground to her left shifted and a pillar of earth shot out.

She had no time to react.

The beam struck the side of her face and forced her to stagger into the hallway. The moment she was exposed, she was showered with metal pieces. She twisted her body and took a step back to the left. Only one plate hit its mark, but it was enough to create a deep cut on her right cheek. She winced but continued her full-circle motion, bringing her face to face with Kuvira's men.

"No… No!.. Not you again!" A muffled growl from the bedroom filled Asami's ears.

_Korra!_

She took the offensive and charged forward.

"Get away from me!" Korra's voice grew louder as she got closer to the entryway.

She jumped to the left to avoid another column of earth and used the momentum to push off of the wall to evade two cables aimed for her torso. The leverage allowed her to soar over the two metalbenders. She flipped halfway during her descent and grabbed their backs, still in midair. Asami sent a pulse to her glove to electrify one of the assailants and used the rest of her somersault to send them both crashing to the floor. With a spin, she pounced on the other man and fried him as well.

"Leave me alone!"

"Korra!" Asami called with no reply. She sprinted towards the bedchamber and rolled under another wave of metal. She utilized her position to slide between two of the benders. The engineer grabbed one of the men's arms and swung him into the other until they were both pinned against the wall. She shocked their necks at the same time.

"Get. Away!" The sound of an air blast in the other room was followed by the scuffling of a battle.

Just as Asami turned to face the last man, a hand with a grip of steel closed around her throat and pushed her wrists behind her.

(-)

Korra walked. She didn't know where she was going, or what direction she was headed in, but there was ground under her feet. She was sure of it. It felt like a cold stone against her warm soles. Her eyes were open too, though everything was dark.

"Asami!" She called into the vast distance. Still no reply.

_I wish I could see. _The bender bit her lip in concentration. _If I can move around here, maybe I can – _She punched forward before finishing her thought. A small amount of fire escaped her fist and illuminated a thin path in front of her until the flames dwindled. It was enough of a light, though, to see who was standing in front of her.

Korra shrieked when a pair of glowing eyes opened. She turned to run away, but a chain wrapped around her ankle. The hallucination jerked her to the ground and dragged her body across the cement.

"No! Get off of me! Let me go!" The Avatar shot elements towards the apparition. Every shot missed. She tried breaking from her restraint to no avail. "What do you want from me?!"

The eyes faced her once more and bore into her soul. A sharp tug sent Korra flying forward in an arc. She crashed through the earth with a painful smash. The scenery grew bright. Bright and… _familiar._

_No._

She was on the ground again, but the substance underneath her was a different kind of terrain. An uncontrollable blow pushed her from one boulder into the other. She could feel the poison coursing in her veins. The Avatar state raged within her. She was helpless again.

Zaheer descended on her, his body floating in eerie mastery. He bent the air around Korra's head and sucked the oxygen from her lungs.

_No! Not again! Please, not again._

Tears streamed down her face. The burning of asphyxiation consumed her. She fought for breath and failed.

_Raava. Someone. __Anyone__. Please, help me…_

Korra clasped her hands around her throat. The world swirled. Her vision blurred. Her body weakened. Sparks flew into the corners of her sight until everything she sensed fell into darkness once more.

(-)

"Get off of me!" Asami struggled under the man who was holding her against the wall.

"You can't escape." He tightened his grip. She tried to inhale and fought to free her restrained hands.

"Who are you?! What do you want from me?!" Korra's voice punctured the engineer's ears.

The assailant ignored her cries and continued with his threats. "The Avatar can't escape either."

"Why don't you leave me alone?! Why do you keep coming back?!" Asami noticed a faint glow light up part of the hallway in her fading vision, stemmed from Korra's firebending. Black grains crept up in her eyes. Her limbs began to limp from lack of oxygen.

"The Earth Empire will rise and you will all fall beneath us."

_Come on, Asami. Stay awake. Fight this. Fight! _

The intensity of the combat in the other room accelerated. She could hear the blasts of air and see the peaks of light from flame after flame escaping the Avatar's extremities.

The man grinned as he listened to Korra's struggle and watched the life slip from Asami's eyes. He spoke in a sinister, almost brainwashed tone. "All hail the Great Uniter."

The sound of Korra collapsing, gasping for breath was too much. Something went off inside of her. Rage boiled over. A fire surged through her. It was so powerful, she was convinced she could firebend if she wanted to. Her aggressor noticed this and brought a second hand to her throat.

_Big mistake._

The change in placement freed her constrained arms. She mustered all of the strength she could and punched the man in his diaphragm. He stumbled backward, wheezing in a poor attempt to readjust his breathing. Asami did much of the same, but took much less time to recover from her near-suffocation. She planted her foot to the side and swung her leg upwards into a circular kick. The impact against the man's face brought him to the ground. She completed her rotation and latched to his ankle. His terrified eyes cringed under the ferocity of hers before she sent a final pulse into his body. He convulsed in her grip until his cries quieted and his figure was motionless.

The hushed sound howling wind and crashing rain filled the silence once more. The pot of water had long been knocked off of the stovetop. Soft heaves replaced the sobs of her electrified victim.

"What do you want from me?" It escaped Korra's lips between pants for air.

Asami rushed into the bedroom to find the Avatar on the floor, hunched over on her hands and knees. The heiress scanned the room. There wasn't a single body to be found. Parts of the curtains were on fire. A gust from the open window sucked the fabric into the storm, where the falling water extinguished the flames. Other items, such as the nightstand, were knocked over. Papers were everywhere. She approached Korra with caution and placed a palm on her shoulder.

The Southerner flinched and fell backwards. Her lids were open, but her sight was unfocused. Tears forced their way down her cheeks. She scurried on her side until she hit the wall.

"Korra?"

She responded to her voice by rubbing her eyes. It didn't seem to have an effect on her.

Asami took another careful step towards her. "Korra…" She placed her hands on her shoulders. When Korra didn't jerk away, she pulled her into an embrace.

She trembled in her arms. She simmered somewhat and melted into the woman cradling her. The Avatar shut her eyes and whimpered under Asami's caresses across her back.

_The world needs you. __I__ need you. Don't leave me again. I'm here for you. You don't have to do this alone. Please… Let me help. _The words repeated themselves in her head but they never translated to her vocal chords. They were not unfamiliar words or feelings. Three years of separation was plenty of time for these emotions to keep her up at night, wondering what had happened to the woman she cared so much for. It hurt. It was a sting at some moments and a dull, unrelenting ache in others. Her connection to this woman, the number of times she caught herself thinking and worrying about her, all of the newspapers she tossed in disgust when they bad mouthed the Avatar and the many clenched fists she used to control her temper when others had the audacity to speak ill of the Southerner… it all hurt. It was terrifying, at first, to think Korra could have such an impact on her very being without even being here. But with time, she began to sort through the agony and navigate all of the pain she had felt. She recalled all of their times together, everything from their first meeting at the gala before the Equalist fiasco to the last moment she saw her before she returned to the Southern Water Tribe in wheelchair. The concoction of emotions blossomed into a form of love that she had her suspicions of way back in their Earth Kingdom expositions. It was a love she wasn't sure she could admit to anyone, wasn't sure was even reciprocated, until she got her first letter from Korra in two years. Then it all made sense. Everything fell together. The worry never left, but her positive feelings had a strong structure to build upon. So she waited. She waited, and waited. Ached and ached. She felt helpless, and during the six months that the Avatar went missing, she _was_ helpless.

The pain coursed through her, the very real physical and emotional scarring she had been enduring. The room swirled to black. Korra slipped through her arms and was gone once more, plucked from her very hands. Her fears became reality.

She panicked. Her eyes flicked around the darkness.

"Asami?" A familiar voice called to her.

She tried to respond but her throat was too sore from the struggle. Tears slid down her cheeks.

"Asami!"

_Korra!_


End file.
